Stonehenge Tribunal of 1236

Ars Magica: Nova Semitae Saga
GM
Mark
Game Start
Anno Domini MCCXX, hiems A.D. 1220, winter 5 Neanne 1, Hiems
Game Year
Anno Domini MCCXXXV, aestas A.D. 1236, summer 7 Aulus 2, Aestas
Magi of Nova Semitae
Geoffroy de Dreux of Jerbiton Joshua Levi of Verditius Magni of Flambeau Obscurus Ignis of Flambeau NPC Magi Aulus · Neanne · Fr. Thomas · Vitria Apprentices Ysabelo discipulus Aulus Esyllt discipula Geoffrey Sigrun discipula Magni Hermetic Status
Companions
Lady Angharad ferch Madog, Princess of Powys Fadog Ritter Sigmund, German ex-Crusader Sir Daniele d'Audrieu, Norman merchant Sir William Cornwell, English ex-Crusader
Other Characters
Covenfolk · Agents The Redcaps · Notable NPCs Chart of Languages Spoken Notable Animals
Guests
Hortense of House Bonisagus
The Covenant
Hermetic Covenant Charter · Membership Record Record of Offices · Covenant Service Council Voting Records · Hermetic Politics Stonehenge Tribunal Mundane Mundane Geography · Mundane Politics Village of Melverley · Melverley Castle Village Laws · Village Rumors Medieval Farming
Covenant Resources
Covenant Library · Varana's Tomb Hospital · Hospital Library Vis Sources and Stores Covenant Magical Items · Mundane Wealth Classes and Training · Covenant Experts Covenant Mechanics
Other
Ars Magica House Rules Ars Magica Expanded Notes Campaign Log · Loose Ends Ars Magica PC Reference
Player Resources (PDFs)
Experience Point Worksheet Character Sheet (Variant 1) Character Sheet (Variant 2) Experience Point Chart

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Late in 1235, Praeco Talion will send out invitations to Tribunal for the Summer Solstice of 1236.

In case you feel like reading about a standard Tribunal before the next game, there's an article on Tribunal Procedures.

Other Activities at Tribunal

• Draag of Blackthorn organises the Bjornaer gathering which resembles a pagan midsummer festival. Very secretive.
• Edward of Milton, of Schola Pythagoranis, organises a Jerbiton gathering, which is a large formal dinner party, followed by a masquerade ball. Largely attended by Jerbiton, with the occasional 'civilized' guest invited to attend. Nearly every attendee has the Gentle Gift and impeccable manners.
• Scintilla of Burnham organizes the Flambeau Melee
• Aurelia of Nigrasaxa organises the Verditius Regional Contest, a smaller version of The Contest which takes place at Verdi every twenty-two years. She will be polling magi, primarily Verditius, on their level of interest in holding a regional content.
• Aulus of Bonisagus and Neanne of Verditius, both from Nova Semitae, organize a small colloquium for the scholastically-minded members to give lectures, share knowledge, and otherwise discuss magical theory and methods with other members. Although the number of Bonisagus magi is low, a wider selection of non-Bonisagus magi show up along with the occasional Bonisagus magus from the continent looking to promote their research and earn reputation.
• A general seller's market for enchantments, potions, books, longevity rituals, vis, and anything else magi will trade pops up. Very informal.

Tribunal Issues

Session 1: External Tribunal Issues

Interference with Mundanes and Endangering the Order

Augustus of Guernicus v. Iohannes Don of Mercere

Iohannes Don, a Redcap, had an affair with a married serf named Mathilde. She ran away with him and he has taken her as his apprentice. The lord of the manor from the fief she learned of them after her husband complained. During the encounter, Iohannes stabbed the nobleman and they fled. The lord is making life difficult for Redcaps and any known magi traveling in the area. He is being charged with Interference with Mundanes and Endangering the Order.

Iohannes Don’s defense is that a magus of the Order of Hermes has a right to defend his covenant, his property, and himself by any means against a hostile noble without it being considered either interference or endangerment. As he has taken Mathilde as his apprentice and has not failed to give her the required training under the Code, she is considered is ‘property’ per the Peripheral Code. His attack on him to take her away constitutes a deprivation of property which allowed him to defend against the loss of that property. The noble has nobody to blame but himself.

Interference with Mundanes

Golias of Tytalus

Golias of Tytalus, Blackthorn, is seeking to challenge the idea that dealings with magi are illegal under mundane ‘disparagement’ laws. In this case, Golias has arranged his son to marry an heiress of local noble’s circle in exchange for undisclosed services. Quaesitores investigated but were satisfied he did not act as a court wizard.

The heiress’ family is suing for disparagement to block the marriage. Golias, and possibly Blackthorn, are seeking to challenge the case all the way to the court of Henry III. If they win, this will allow all magi in England to take apprentices (as they would be considered free and not villeins, though a fee would still need to be paid for their removal), and that Hermetic courts would be an appropriate alternative to mundane or ecclesiastic courts to settle matters between Order members and others. Individual magi are divided if this is truly interference with mundanes or simply playing by the rules that exist in mundane society.

Interference with Mundanes, Working as a Court Wizard

Fredigisa of Guernicus v. Thamik of Verditius, Nigrasaxa

Thamik of Verditius, Nigrasaxa is accused of interference with mundanes by providing arms made with craft magic to the Welsh, who were fighting his enemies (the Marshal family) at the time.

Thamik's defense is that he observed the proper distancing by working through an agent and didn't provide the purchasing nobles with any actual magic.

Molesting the Fae

Edward of Milton, House Jerbiton v. Phessalia of Merinita

Edward of Milton accuses Phessalia of Merenita of meddling with the great faeries. He claims she has attempted to alter their story, and this has resulted in a noticeable change in the weather of the tribunal. While at present the effect is not severe, it is getting worse. Phessalia denies any connection between these faeries and the weather in the British isles.

Apprentices and Swearing In of the Recently Gauntleted

Neanne of Verditius, Nova Semitae, announces that her apprentice shall take the name (x) and has passed her Gauntlet

Session 2: Internal Tribunal Issues

Voting Irregularities

Fredigisa of Guernicus v. Covenant of Burnham, Aindread Ex Miscellanea, Sachicko of Merinita

Burnham is accused of using the period the tribunal was inquorate to deceive it of their true membership. Aindread and Sachicko have never attended a quorate Tribunal. It is argued that they are not formally members of the tribunal unless they do so. Caitlin objects, but has few friends in the tribunal.

Scrying

Prelum of Tremere vs. Corvus of Bjornael

Prelum of Tremere accuses Corvus of Bjornaer of scrying on her. Someone accuses him of scrying at every tribunal but nothing has ever been proven. It is unlikely this time will be different.

Slaying of a Magus, Deprevation of Power; Becoming a Member of the Order

Swan of Jerbiton v. Covenant of Voluntas; counter-charges Covenant of Voluntas v. Swan of Jerbiton

On the first charge, the Covenant of Voluntas is charged with the illegal slaying of a member of the Order. During a visit to Voluntas, Swan of Jerbiton met an unGifted hedge wizard living with them who was forced to do nothing but make vis for the covenant each season. Swan offered membership in the Order to the hedge wizard; he accepted and swore the Oath on the spot. Members of Voluntas refused to allow him to leave with Swan and slew him during the confrontation rather than lose him.

On the second charge, the Covenant of Voluntas charges Swan of Jerbiton with deprivation of magical power by removing a valuable hedge wizard.

Cathaoire Ex Miscellanea, Quaesitor, brings a third question to Tribunal: Is swearing the Oath enough to make a hedge wizard, or indeed any apprentice, a full member of the Order of Hermes? Or does it require something more, such as the ratification of a Quaesitor or Tribunal? Can a member of the covenant be considered part of the covenant's property and does endangering that person count as depriving the covenant of its magical power?